Service Women’s Action Network: Working on Behalf of Women Veterans

May 25, 2009

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By Brandy Bailey, Contributor ElectWomen Magazine

Today almost 200,000 women serve in the United States military in Iraq or Afghanistan.  They are the second fastest growing population of veterans. Today’s servicewomen face trauma not just from combat, but also from sexual harassment and assault from their own peers on the battlefield.  The Pentagon recently confirmed that one in three women serving in the U.S. military has been sexually assaulted.  But many veterans services organizations marginalize these women and the issues they are dealing with when they seek treatment at hospitals that are operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs.  The Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN) based out of New York is working to change that.

According to their mission statement the Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN) “works to improve the welfare of current U.S. servicewomen and to assist all women veterans”.  SWAN is staffed by women veterans who offer personal support and guidance to other women veterans; they also make recommendations to the government on policy reform about service women’s issues.

SWAN’s agenda revolves around six core principles:

• Comprehensive VA Health Care of Women Veterans – This includes an elevated awareness in
all VA facilities and access to female practitioners.
• Military Sexual Trauma – Counseling, pro-bono legal services and advocacy.
• Support for LGBT women in the military – Gay women are discharged by the Department
of Defense at twice the rate of their male counterparts.
• Homeless women vets – Current homeless population statistics show that one of three
homeless people nationwide are veterans. Women and their children comprise a growing
part of this demographic.
• Education and Counseling – With recruiters under pressure to fill quotas, they are reaching
out to young women. SWAN members are involved in presenting a voice at high school and
colleges relating information about their personal service.

Last Week Anuradha Bhagwati, former Marine Corps Captain and the Executive Director of SWAN testified before the House Committee on Veteran’s Affairs on female veteran’s health care benefits and the current policies relating to military sexual trauma (mst).

To date 104 U.S. female soldiers have died in the War in Iraq and 16 have died in Afghanistan.  More women have been killed in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan than in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War combined.

So this memorial day while you are enjoying get togethers with friends and family, pause for a moment to think about our servicewomen and the challenges they facing both in combat and when they come home.

To learn more about SWAN you can visit their website at www.servicewomen.org.